The City Council has directed staff to research and recommend possible amendments to the General Plan and Zoning Code, as well as other policy proposals that could further the protection of mobilehome parks in the City of San José. Current Goals, Policies, and Actions in the General Plan, and provisions in the Zoning Code, offer some level of protection of existing mobilehome parks from conversion to other uses. The City Council now seeks to strengthen the City's policies and regulations for the preservation of an adequate supply of mobilehomes as housing that can be affordable to residents in the City, taking into consideration that such housing is not subsidized deed-restricted affordable housing. Please check back regularly as City staff will post meeting notifications and updates on this webpage over the coming months.

March 6, 2018The following two mobilehome related items will be heard by the San José City Council on Tuesday, March 13, 2018, and are scheduled to be heard first in the evening following ceremonial items. The evening session begins at 6:00 pm.

Item 4.1: Mobilehome Opt-In Stay In Business Update:At this meeting the City Council will review staff analysis of the Opt-In/Stay concept, an idea to provide incentives to mobilehome park owners in exchange for continuous operation over a period of time. On November 27, 2017, the Community and Economic Development (CED) Council Committee recommended that staff stop working on this concept. On March 13, the City Council will direct staff to either stop or continue working on this concept. The staff reports and letters from the public are available for review. For questions on this item, please contact Rachel VanderVeen at rachel.vanderveen@sanjoseca.gov, or by calling 408-535-8231.

Item 10.3: General Plan Land Use Overlay for Mobilehome Parks and Recommendations from the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley: At this meeting the City Council will review the staff analysis and provide direction on potential land use changes and General Plan text changes to preserve mobilehome parks. The staff report and public comments are available for review. For questions on this item, please contact Jared Hart atFor security reasons, you must enable JavaScript to view this E-mail address., or by calling 408-535-7896.

Information Memo distributed to the Mayor and City Council regarding Mobilehome Opt-In/Stay-In-Business Update.

July 11, 2017

On February 23, 2016, the City Council directed the Housing Department to continue to explore the Opt-In/Stay-In-Business concept with mobilehome park owners and residents. The Opt-In/Stay-In-Business concept contemplates financial incentives for MHP owners in exchange for a binding agreement to "stay in business," continuing to operating existing MHPs for a defined period of time. Over the last few months, the Housing Department has worked with an Advisory Committee consisting of mobilehome park residents and owners. The Department will host public and stakeholder meetings during Summer and Fall to share a revised concept and to gather input and concerns. The Department plans to provide a recommendation on this concept to the City Council's Community and Economic Committee meeting in November 2017.

2. Direct the City Manager to return to Council in August with: (a) An analysis, including workload, cost, and necessary level of environmental clearance, for a General Plan amendment overlay for dozens of mobilehome park sites to either a "Commercial," "Industrial," "Industrial Park" or a (proposed) "Mobilehome Park" land use designation for those sites that currently have a Residential designation; (b) A review of the recommendations proposed by the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley, in its letter dated May 11, 2017, and a presentation of staff's perspectives on any such recommendations that can be incorporated when the Council returns in August.

3. Approve staff recommendations (b) and (c) as per the posted May 16, 2017 City Council Agenda.

The City has an ordinance that covers mobilehome park conversions to other uses. The City Council asked staff to prepare an ordinance that applies to mobilehome parks that wish to close but do not intend to seek any entitlements or permits for redevelopment. If the City has no ordinance that applies to park closures, then closures can still occur under State Law provisions.
The Draft Discussion Mobilehome Park Closure Ordinance is now posted for your review.

The City has an ordinance that covers mobilehome park conversions to other uses. The City Council asked staff to prepare an ordinance that applies to mobilehome parks that wish to close but do not intend to seek any entitlements or permits for redevelopment. One example is when a leasehold expires and the land owner decides not to enter into a new lease with another park operator. If the City has no ordinance that applies to park closures, then closures can still occur under State Law provisions. The following chart compares State Law Provisions with the proposed Closure Ordinance.

State Law
(Current)

San José MHP Closure Ordinance (Proposed)

Requires the owner to submit a report on the impact of the closure to address the availability of adequate replacement housing in mobilehome parks and relocation costs.

Does not specify the information required in the Relocation Impact Report (RIR) in detail or the relocation related services to be provided as part of the reasonable cost of relocation.

Requires 6-12 months' written notice of termination of tenancy.

Allows for a public hearing on the sufficiency of the RIR if requested, but provides no standards for determining sufficiency of mitigation proposed by the report.

Would require park owners to pay for a city selected relocation specialist to prepare a detailed Relocation Impact Report (RIR) before a closure can be approved.

Enables the City to specify the information required in the RIR, the relocation related services to be provided, and the standards for sufficiency of the report.

Allows for a public hearing on the sufficiency of the RIR if requested.

Posting or delivery of any notice of park closure (other than required notices) is delayed until after the RIR is complete and the City Council has approved the closure.

Would require park owners to pay reasonable costs of relocation unless bankruptcy has been approved by a court or a request for a waiver is approved.

For questions about the proposed Ordinance, you may contact Jenny Nusbaum, Supervising Planner, Department of Planning, Building and Code Enforcement (PBCE) at 408-535-7872 or For security reasons, you must enable JavaScript to view this E-mail address..

The Housing Department has extended the application deadline for the Mobilehome Opt-In/Stay in Business Advisory Committee until 5:00 PM on Friday, September 23, 2016. For questions regarding the application process, please contact Adam Marcus at (408) 975-4451 or email him at For security reasons, you must enable JavaScript to view this E-mail address.. August 9, 2016
The Housing Department is now accepting applications for 14 seats on the Opt-In Stay-In-Business Advisory Committee. Please click on the link below for details on the selection process and to view the application. If you or someone you know is interested in serving on the Advisory Committee, please fill out the application and submit it to the Housing Department no later than 5:00 PM on September 9, 2016. For inquiries regarding this application process, please contact Adam Marcus at (408) 975-4451 or email him at For security reasons, you must enable JavaScript to view this E-mail address..Advisory Committee Application

The Housing Department is moving forward with a workplan that will develop an Opt-In/Stay in Business proposal per the San José City Council's direction. The Housing Department will begin the process by selecting an Advisory Committee consisting of seven mobilehome residents and seven mobilehome park owners. The Advisory Committee will not make any decisions but will help to develop the proposal. The public, including mobilehome residents and mobilehome park owners, will have an opportunity to provide feedback and to recommend changes before the Opt-In/Stay in Business proposal is brought to the City Council for consideration. An application process for a seat on the Advisory Committee is anticipated to open in mid to late July. The Housing Department will publish further details on this webpage in mid-July. Background information and an initial workplan on the Opt-In/Stay in Business proposal can be found on the June 9, 2016 Housing & Community Development Commission Agenda. Updates on the workplan will be posted in mid-July once the recruitment for the Advisory Committee begins.

The "Opt-In/Stay-In-Business" concept proposes that park owners agree to keep their parks open for a period of time in exchange for financial incentives. The City of San José hosted four stakeholder meetings in late 2015 and early 2016. In February, the City Council directed the Housing Department to continue the dialogue in hopes of finding a compromise solution. The Housing Department is seeking public comment on the "Opt-In/Stay-In-Business" workplan at the following meeting:

Housing and Community Development Commission (HCDC)
Thursday, June 9, 2016 - 5:45 pm
San José City Hall - Wing Rooms
200 East Santa Clara Street, San José
Validated parking available (park under City Hall by entering on 6th Street)

If you would like to submit comments in writing or have questions, please contact Adam Marcus at 408-975-4451.

A draft "Council Policy" is posted for public review. This policy is intended to clarify and provide guidelines for implementation of the requirements in Title 20 of the Municipal Code (Zoning Code) regarding park conversions. Such policy would need to be consistent with the conversion provisions in the Zoning Code. Examples of other "Council Policies" can be found in the Council Policy Manual which helps guide the Council on other issues. This draft Council Policy will be discussed during public hearings in January and February 2016.

Over the past several months, the City of San José has been exploring policies and Zoning Code provisions to protect mobilehome parks in San José from conversion to other uses. During outreach meetings conducted during the summer of 2015, mobilehome park owners suggested an idea called “Opt-in/Stay in Business” whereby park owners would agree to stay open for a period of time in exchange for the ability to pass through some amount of capital infrastructure costs to park residents, limited vacancy decontrol, and other provisions. Read more information on the "Opt-in/Stay in Business" concept.

The City Council directed staff to explore this concept as another tool for preserving mobilehome parks in San José. The Department of Housing and the Department of Planning, Building and Code Enforcement (PBCE) will host four focus group meetings: two for park owners and two for park residents to explore this concept. The meetings have been scheduled as follows:

Notes from these meetings will be posted on this website. Input from these meetings will help staff develop recommendations for the City Council in early 2016. Staff will present the Opt-In Concept to the City Council for direction and next steps in February 2016.

In August 2015, the City hosted three public meetings to discuss Mobilehome Park Protection strategies with over 70 people in attendance per meeting. Thenotes from these meetings are posted on the Housing Department's website. In addition, the City Council passed a six-month moratorium on the conversion of Mobilehome Parks to any other use. This moratorium is scheduled to expire on February 25, 2016.

At the direction of the City Council, staff is working on the following policy and ordinance changes to strengthen existing protections of mobilehome parks in San José. Some of the draft policies will be posted prior to the Community and Economic Development Committee meeting scheduled for November 16, 2015.

New General Plan Text Amendments: To strengthen goals and policies to preserve existing mobilehome parks as a source of housing.

New Council Policy: To clarify and provide guidelines for implementation of the requirements in Title 20 of the Municipal Code (Zoning Code) regarding park conversions. Such policy would need to be consistent with the conversion provisions in the Zoning Code. Examples of the Council Policies can be found in the Council Policy Manual which helps guide the Council on other issues.

Zoning Code Amendments: As needed to amend administrative provisions for public hearings on permit applications for conversions.

Staff is scheduled to present proposed policy changes at the four meetings listed below in which the public can participate. The first two meetings will focus on General Plan Text Amendments. The subsequent meetings will focus on all of the policy and ordinance changes. The City Council is scheduled to vote on these changes in February 2016.

Please visit www.sanjoseca.gov/mobilehomes for project updates and announcements. Notes from recent public meetings and additional information will be posted as it becomes available.September 18, 2015

In August 2015, staff from the City of San José Planning, Building and Code Enforcement and Housing Departments hosted three public meetings to discuss this issue. The following summary includes key themes that emerged from the meetings followed by more complete notes. These notes have been edited for clarity and do not include fact checking or input from City staff.

September 3, 2015

On September 9, 2015, The Planning Commission is scheduled to hold a public hearing on extending the moratorium on mobilehome park conversions from 45 days to 6 months. Click here to read the meeting agenda, andhere to read the staff memo.

On September 15, 2015, the City Council is scheduled to hear this item at the City Hall Council Chambers. Check the Council Agenda for details.

An interactive map of the City’s General Plan 2040 Growth Areas can be found here. These Growth Areas include; Downtown, North San Jose, Specific Plan Areas, Urban Villages, and Employment Areas. For general information on Urban Villages in San Jose, click here. As of this posting, five urban village plans have been adopted and eight additional plans are currently under development.

August 7, 2015

A summary of the feedback from focus groups #3 and #4 (mobilehome park residents) is scheduled to be presented to the City Council on August 11, 2015.

July 28, 2015

In July/August 2015, staff from the City of San José Planning, Building and Code Enforcement and Housing Departments scheduled two focus groups for mobilehome park owners/managers, and two focus groups for park residents. A summary of the feedback from the focus groups #1 and #2 is scheduled to be presented to the City Council on August 11, 2015.

July 15, 2015

Please be advised that the public meeting scheduled for Thursday, August 27, 2015 at Independence High School has been canceled and replaced with a meeting on Saturday, August 29, 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at Seven Trees Community Center, Banquet Room, 3590 Cas Drive, San José, CA.

June 29, 2015

City staff is hosting three public meetings to explore new City policies and Zoning Code provisions to protect an adequate supply of mobilehome parks in San José. Your input is valuable to the process. Please join us at one of the following meetings to learn more and to share your thoughts. Light refreshments will be served and reasonable accommodations for language interpretation or disability-related assistance are available if requested at least three (3) business days in advance. Questions? Please contact Jenny Nusbaum (Planning, Building and Code Enforcement) at 408.535.7872 or For security reasons, you must enable JavaScript to view this E-mail address., or Adam Marcus (Housing Department) at 408.975.4451 or For security reasons, you must enable JavaScript to view this E-mail address..

On Monday, June 22nd, staff is scheduled to propose a workplan and community input process to the Community and Economic Development Committee (CEDC). The CEDC agenda and proposed workplan being discussed at the meeting is available for viewing.

As part of this workplan, a number of community meetings will be held in July through August to gather stakeholder input on possible policy changes. Meeting dates, a "Notify Me" (select Housing - Mobilehome & Park Owners) email notification sign up, and other information about this project will be posted in the coming weeks on the Housing Department's website and announced over email.

If you have any questions, please email or call Jenny Nusbaum, Department of Planning, Building and Code Enforcement at For security reasons, you must enable JavaScript to view this E-mail address. or (408) 535-7872 or Adam Marcus, Department of Housing at For security reasons, you must enable JavaScript to view this E-mail address. or (408) 975-4451.

Alternative transportation is encouraged! City Hall is accessible by VTA Light Rail (Santa Clara Station) and bus routes 17, 55, 63, 64, 65, 72, 73 and 81. A City BikeShare station is available at City Hall on 4th/Santa Clara Streets. Parking is available in the City Hall Garage, entrance on 6th Street.

Can't make it? If you cannot attend in person, meetings are live-streamed through the City's website, and can also be watched live on local Channel 26.

The City of San Joséis committed to open and honest government and strives to consistently meet the community’s expectations by providing excellent service, in a positive and timely manner, and in the full view of the public.